Earth Hour

Its Earth Hour today.
2030-2130.
Are you ready?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIu2G3JTOk0&feature=related

http://www.earthhour.org/about/sg:en
For the first time in history, people of all ages, nationalities, race and background have the opportunity to use their light switch as their vote – Switching off your lights is a vote for Earth, or leaving them on is a vote for global warming. WWF are urging the world to VOTE EARTH and reach the target of 1 billion votes, which will be presented to world leaders at the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen 2009.
This meeting will determine official government policies to take action against global warming, which will replace the Kyoto Protocol. It is the chance for the people of the world to make their voice heard.Earth Hour began in Sydney in 2007, when 2.2 million homes and businesses switched off their lights for one hour. In 2008 the message had grown into a global sustainability movement, with 50 million people switching off their lights. Global landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Rome’s Colosseum, the Sydney Opera House and the Coca Cola billboard in Times Square all stood in darkness.In 2009, Earth Hour is being taken to the next level, with the goal of 1 billion people switching off their lights as part of a global vote. Unlike any election in history, it is not about what country you’re from, but instead, what planet you’re from. VOTE EARTH is a global call to action for every individual, every business, and every community. A call to stand up and take control over the future of our planet. Over 74 countries and territories have pledged their support to VOTE EARTH during Earth Hour 2009, and this number is growing everyday.We all have a vote, and every single vote counts. Together we can take control of the future of our planet, for future generations.VOTE EARTH by simply switching off your lights for one hour, and join the world for Earth Hour

Hit and Run

What kind of day was it? Actually , I can't remember at all. Was it sunny, windy or cloudy? Truth is I was probably too absorbed in my grouchiness and self pity in needing to go back to school during the school holidays to notice the weather.

Upon arriving in school, probably still clouded by my grouchiness, I did not take note in where my steps have taken me.

Suddenly, I heard a cracking sound. Being retarded, it took some time for me to stop and retraced my steps. I couldn't make out what I had stepped on.

"Its a snail," my colleague enlightened me.

So you can imagine the damage that was done to cause the snail to be beyond recognition.

I walked back to my office.

After telling a colleague who sits near me what had happened, we took some paper , intending to bury the snail if it was dead or do whatever we could to salvage the damage.

Alas, the snail was cleared by a cleaner when we went back to the place of incident.

The poor snail, no voice to scream for help and too slow to try and escape. Imagine if glass was crushed on your body, probably that's what the snail felt when I stepped on its shell and its shell was cracked and crushed into its body.

I couldn't think of anything else to do for the snail except to utter a word of prayer and pay more attention to where I was walking in the future.

Translated version

Was looking through the book which I mentioned in the earlier post . At the back of the book is a self assessment for students.

I translated the assessment for the first verse into English. My standard of English seems to be off these days...so the translation might be quite bad. Feel free to amend and use it for your students

When my parents/elders /elders call me, I answer them straight away.
When they ask me to do something, I do it quickly.
When my parents/elders instruct or teach me, I listen respectfully
When my parents/elders /elders reproach me, I do not talk back. I explain to them respectfully. If I am wrong, I admit my mistake. I try hard to change and improve myself.

What have I been doing?

Back when I was just an ignorant Nus undergrad, I told a friend that my dream was to build a school in a third world country. It would not be like other schools but one that emphasises on moral values . Now that I'm volunteering at a place which teaches confucius teaching, it dawns on me that I'm closer to where I wanted to be. The organisation just celebrated its 10th year anniversary which means that when I had my dream back then, the school has already existed just that I did not know of its existence!

New News

Something happened yesterday and I'm very excited about it.


But first , let me introduce a book (DZG) that I have been using to teach my students.



There are many versions to this book, the one that I'm handing out to my students has been kindly translated and printed into an English version by some very kind souls. I don't have a picture of it now and I have stocked the books in school.

Frankly, I'm learning it myself. I used to think I'm someone with Ok moral values when in reality I'm far from it.

But what's the thing that has got me so excited?

Yesterday, there was a sharing by principals and teachers on DZG which unfortunately I did not attend. But from what I heard from those who did attend, many schools are already making it part of their curriculum! They now have it in English and Malay versions. Tamil version coming up soon? A Malay parent expressed that her child has really changed for the better ever since she was exposed to DZG. Of the schools that is making it part of the curriculum include christian affiliated school. St Nicholas Girls is involved in printing one of the textbooks sold in Popular!

St Nicholas is involved in printing this text book!



Malaysia has already started this in their country with Malay version of DZG

I really hope my school will join on the wagon soon! I''m really bad at pushing this in my school. In fact, I think I'm not doing anything to push this to my school. Shall work harder in teaching it in my class!

Peace

和平=和睦共处，平等对待

Am looking forward to the coming March Holidays!

Am so lost in the avalanch of work that somethings I forget my priorities and goals. Will aim for some quiet time even when school reopens. =)

My colleague was so tickled by what my kid wrote in her composition....Boy saves a cat from a big dog. Robber comes up to the boy and demands money from the poor boy. Grateful and herioc cat sprang onto the robber and scratched his face. Robber ran screaming away while the dog chased him till he reached home where the robber told his exciting story to his mother.

Sometimes I forget to take delight in the kids' work.